The nominations for the 2012 Hugo Awards went up over the weekend, providing the complete list of science fiction and fantasy’s greatest storytellers who are eligible to receive fandom’s most phallic trophy. Not surprisingly, it was a big year for George R.R. Martin: The man who helped turn much of the mainstream nation into rabid consumers of sword-and-sorcery, thanks to epic storytelling and HBO sex scenes, was rewarded with nominations for both Best Novel for A Dance With Dragons and Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) for the entire first season of Game Of Thrones. In the latter category, Martin will go up against a diverse field that includes Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2, Captain America: The First Avenger, Source Code, and Hugo. Yes: Hugo was nominated for a Hugo, presumably just for the snuffling giggles it will evoke during the awards ceremony at September’s Worldcon. “Of course, it’s already got a Hugo, so it’s a shoo-in” some presenter will say, and everyone will chuckle contentedly, like bullfrogs just after sunset.
Speaking of fun things, Community may have been shunned by the Emmys, the Peabodys, the Golden Globes, various acting guilds, the People’s Choice Awards, and even probably the Community Awards, but unlike most comedies, it can proudly claim that it’s been nominated for a Hugo, because now it has. The show’s landmark alternate-timeline episode “Remedial Chaos Theory” is nominated in the Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) category—which, just go with it—alongside three different episodes of Doctor Who. So, it’s possible that the usual bitter Doctor Who fan division will split the vote on whether, say, “The Doctor’s Wife” was better than “The Girl Who Waited,” and Community could finally walk away with something. If only there were an episode of television that so brilliantly illustrated the way seemingly minor decisions have huge ripple effects on our fate?